The Three Legendary Ninja
by Amelia Wingheart
Summary: a girl and her best friend go through training to become ninja along with their teammate, Uchiha Itachi.
1. What's Wrong?

The exams….the day all academy students dread from the time they enter the Konoha Ninja Academy. Kyara is no different, but unlike others her age, she's not the kind of person to show it.

"Hahaha! That's really funny, Riku!' Kyara says as she wipes a tear out of her eye. Riku grins, and pulls her to the side when a group of girls almost tramples her. She glares at their running forms.

"Guess the Uchiha's here…" Riku says with resentment in his voice. Kyara grins.

"You're just jealous that all the females like Uchiha, and not you." She says as she walks by him with her hands clasped behind her head. He stands there, surprised.

"But I have you!" He shouts as he runs after her.

"Not so. I am definitely **not** together with you!" Kyara says as she grins over her shoulder at him.

"You're not fair, Kya!" Riku shouts as he runs into the classroom after her.

"All right, calm down, class!" Ibiki-sensei shouts as he poofs into the room. They all take their seats, and go silent. "Today's the day everyone's been waiting for! The exam!" Ibiki-sensei grins.

They all take the exam, and retake their seats.

"All right, you can all go to lunch. I shall be announcing teams when you come back." Ibiki-sensei says as he walks back into the room.

"Yes!" The whole class says as they stand up. They all file out of the room, except for Kyara and Riku.

"Teams, huh?" Kyara says, leaning on her hand as Riku walks up to her desk. "I sure hope I don't end up with Uchiha…" She turns when she hears the door open.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Riku says with a huge grin on his face. Uchiha turns to glare at him.

"What do you want, Dayto?" Uchiha questions as he glares at Riku, who returns the glare.

"None of your beez wax!" Riku shouts as he jumps on top of one of the desks.

"Get down, Dayto!" Ibiki-sensei commands as he walks into the room. Riku sighs, and jumps back down. "Kyara!" Ibiki-sensei shouts, looking at her.

"Yes?" Kyara asks. Ibiki-sensei motions for her to come to his desk. As soon as she gets there, she hooks one of her hips on the corner of his desk.

"Kyara…." Ibiki-sensei says in a serious voice.

"Hm?" She asks, not really paying attention.

"Is everything all right? You've been kind of off lately." Ibiki-sensei says, watching her. She looks up at him.

"I'm fine." She says as she walks away from Ibiki-sensei's desk.

"Something's off…." Ibiki-sensei whispers as he watches her go back to Riku.

"What did Ibiki-sensei want, Kya?" Riku asks when Kyara gets back to him. She sighs before smiling.

"He thinks there's something wrong with me…" She says. Riku looks at her funny. "What?" She demands, glaring at him.

"You are kinda acting weird…" Riku says. "What's up?" He questions. She sighs.

"It's nothing….I'm just under a lot of stress lately, with everything that's been going on…" She says with a shrug.

"Okay…" Riku says as he turns away from her to walk to his seat. "Guess we should sit down before the rest of the class gets here…" Riku says as he plops down in his seat. She smiles.

"Guess you're right." She says as she sits down in her own seat.


	2. Teams Announced

"Okay, everyone. Since you're all here, I'm going to announce the teams…" Ibiki-sensei says, glaring at someone in the top row. "I would appreciate it if you would pay attention!" He shouts at someone.  
><em><br>*Guess one of the psychos are harassing Uchiha again…good for him!*_

"Okay. So, teams are: one; Itachi Uchiha, Riku Dayato and Kyara Hyuga!" Ibiki-sensei announces, looking down at his clipboard. Kyara groans when she hears her name.

"Not Uchiha!" She shouts as she jumps out of her seat. Ibiki-sensei turns to look at her.

"Something wrong, Hyuga?" Ibiki-sensei asks, giving her a critical look.

"I am not going to be on the same team as Uchiha! There's no way!" Kyara shouts, gesturing to Itachi's completely oblivious form.

"Sorry, but yes, you are. You and Itachi are perfect for a team!" Ibiki-sensei says before he moves on the next team. She groans as she slams her head against her desk.

Ibiki-sensei announces the rest of the teams, and dismisses everyone. Riku comes bounding up to her desk, and taps her shoulder.

"You alive, Kya!" He asks. She looks up at him. "Guess not…." He whispers as he takes a step back. She stands up, and walks out of the room.

"I can't believe that we have to deal with Uchiha!" She complains as she pulls her bag off the wall with a little more force than necessary.

"Going to break that if you keep it up." Someone says from behind them. Kyara spins around, and punches Uchiha in the face.

"Leave me the hell alone, Uchiha!" Kyara growls as her eyes narrow. Uchiha stands back up straight, and gasps can be heard across the room. "You mean nothing to me! I'm not one of your little fan girls who'll do anything to get time with you." She shouts as she pushes past him.

"Well, guess she told you." Riku says just before he walks past Uchiha.

Most of the other teams leave, except theirs and one other.

"I cannot believe our sensei's late!" Riku complains. Kyara grabs a book about the History of Jutsu's, and throws it at Riku's head.

"Geez! Trying to kill me, are you?" Riku shouts when he manages to stand back up. Kyara looks away from him with an annoyed look.

"I have arrived!" They all hear someone shout from the door. When they look, Kyara groans.

"No!" Kyara shouts as she jumps out the window. They all stare at her retreating form.

"Oh…..kay? What the hell's wrong with her?" Uchiha asks. Both Riku and him look at the woman who had just come into the room. "Who are you?" Uchiha demands. The female grins, and suddenly, Kyara flies back into the room, landing on her ass with someone jumping in behind her.

"We thought you might try to escape." The guy says with a grin.

"Release me!" Kyara demands. The female looks down at her.

"Sorry…no." She says as she looks back at Riku. "Who're you?" She asks, examining both him and Uchiha.

"Riku Dayato, at your service." Riku says as he salutes.

"Itachi Uchiha." Itachi says with a bored expression.

"Okay. Well, my name is Alice, and that." Alice points to the guy standing by Kyara. "That's Aki."

"Nice to meet you all." Aki says with a smile.

"All right, uncle! Let me go! I won't run." Kyara pleads as she wiggles around.

"No one believes that." Alice says as she stares down at Kyara.

"Oh, come on!" Kyara shouts as she stands up. Aki grabs the back of the rope, and throws Kyara over his shoulder.

"All right, come with us, Riku, Itachi." Alice says as she walks over to Aki. They both walk out of the classroom.

They all go to a pile of stones in the forest around the leaf village. Aki drops Kyara to the ground, still tied up.

"All right. We're going to talk about ourselves. My name is Aki Hyuga…I'm a jonin for the hidden leaf village, and Kyara's uncle." Aki says as he looks down at the others.

"My name's Alice Hyuga. Jonin for the leaf as well as Kyara's aunt. Both of us are going to be your senseis." Alice says, grinning.

"Tell us. Why do we have two senseis while everyone else only has one?" Uchiha ask as he watches them.

"The answer is quite simple, not to mention you've seen it in action." Aki says. They all look down at Kyara. He kneels down next to her. "Our dear Kyara here is a master at escaping. So, the Hokage decided to double up on senseis." He grins, and Kyara glares up at him.

"Would you let me go already? I'm starting to get cramps!" Kyara shouts. Alice sighs, and throws a kunai. It cuts the ropes, and Kyara stands up.

"Thanks." Kyara says as she runs off. Within a few seconds, she's back with Aki holding her down. "OW!" She complains.

"Thank you so much for demonstrating the reason, Kyara." Alice says as Kyara glares up at her.

"Wait till I talk to Uncle! I know he has something to do with this!" Kyara threatens as she wiggles underneath Aki.

"You do that." Aki says as he stands back up, keeping one of his feet on her back. "Later. Right now, we're going to listen to your new teammates talk about themselves." She sighs in defeat.

"Fine." Kyara says as she stops moving underneath him.

"All righty. You're first." Alice says, pointing at Riku.

"All right, my name's Dayato Riku. I just became a genin. I'm eleven years old, and I love to make jokes." Riku says as he sits up straight. I grin when I see Uchiha scowl.

"Such interesting information…okay! Your turn." Aki says as he glances at Uchiha.

"My name's Uchiha Itachi. I'm eleven years old, and specialize in fire based jutsu. My goal in life is to bring peace to the world." He says with closed eyes. Kyara glares daggers at him.

"Way to be a show off, Uchiha!" Kyara murmurs as she shakes her head. Uchiha looks at her with contempt.

"Such interesting friends you have, Kyara." Alice says as she examines the two of them.

"Uchiha us not my friend!" Kyara shouts.

"Okay, whatever. Let's hear your information, Kyara." Aki says with a grin on his face. She sighs.

"Oh all right. My name is Hyuga Kyara. I specialize on weapons and taijutsu. I'm ten years old, and I despise Uchiha!" Kyara says as she glares at Uchiha.


	3. KIA Stone

"All righty..now that we know that, I think it's time to explain the training info." Aki says as he gets off Kyara.

"We will be training every day at seven sharp. On the occasion that we have a mission, which will most likely be every day. We will leave for it at eight sharp." Alice says as she grabs ahold of Kyara's arm.

"Do you all understand?" Aki asks, looking at all of them. Both Uchiha and Riku nod. "And of course, Kyara will be there." He says as he glances at her. She sighs, and nods.

"All right. See you all here tomorrow at seven sharp. You're free to train or whatever until then." Alice says just before she disappears. Kyara sighs, and rubs her wrists.

"What the hell got into you?" Riku asks as he walks up to her.

"She doesn't like her aunt." Aki says with a grin.

"You don't like your twin any more than I do!" Kyara says as she glares at him. He raises his hand in defeat.

"Guess you're right." He says with a grin. She grins in victory.

"You're kinda strange, Hyuga." Uchiha says as he walks up to Kyara.

"Runs in the family." Kyara says with a shrug. She looks at Aki.

"So, I take it aunt Alice was supposed to be our sensei originally?" She asks.

"Yes. They thought I could train you while she trains the other two." Aki says as he nods.

"Smart Uncle." Kyara says as she grabs a hold of Aki's shirt, and drags him to a corner of the field.

"What is it, Kyara?" Aki asks when he sees the serious look on her face.

"Is...is my mother doing all right?" Kyara asks in a sad yet hopeful voice.

"She's sick, Kyara. There's nothing we can do. It's all up to the strength of her will now." Aki says with a sad look. A tears falls out of Kyara's eye.

"So there's no chance." Kyara says with a sad smile.

"Of course, there's a chance!" Aki shouts.

_*Just not a very big one.*_ He says mentally. Kyara smiles.

"Thanks, Uncle Aki." Kyara says. Aki sighs as she walks away.  
><em><br>*Please get better, Mya. For Kyara's sake if no one else's.*_ Aki mentally pleads before he walks back to the others as well.

"All right, Kyara. I'm going back to the Manor. Don't stay out too late." Aki says just before he disappears.

"Your uncle seems nice." Riku says as he walks up to her. She turns to him with a smile.

"He is...I don't like my aunt though...she's never been that nice to me." Kyara says as she puts a hand behind her head.

"One can understand why." Uchiha says as he walks up to them.

"What do you want, Uchiha?" Kyara asks. Uchiha glares at her.

"Why do you call me by my last name?" Uchiha demands. Kyara looks at him like he's lost it.

"Why do you call me by my last name?" Kyara asks. Uchiha grins.

"Because you call me by such." Uchiha says. Kyara throws her arms up in the air in exasperation.

"Fine. Whatever." She leaves. Riku turns a glare at Uchiha.

"You know, if you wanted an answer, that wasn't the way to go about it." Riku says. Uchiha sighs.

"All right. Do you know where she went?" Uchiha asks. Riku nods.

"I do, but why should I tell you?" Riku asks as he turns away from Uchiha. Uchiha suddenly appears in front of him.

"Because I need to talk to her." Uchiha says as he stands there.

"Then go find her. I don't feel like dying for telling you." Riku says with a gesture of his hand. Uchiha glares at him. "Fine. She most likely went to her grandfather's grave." Riku says. Uchiha looks at him in confusion.

"Where is that?" He asks. Riku looks at him like he's insane.

"The...KIA stone!" Riku says. Uchiha sighs.

"Her grandfather died in the war, didn't he?" Uchiha asks. Riku nods.

"Yeah, he did." Riku says. Before he could say anything else, Uchiha disappears. "Fine, don't say thanks!" Riku mumbles as he walks toward home.

Meanwhile, Kyara's sitting on the KIA stone, looking up at the clouds as they roll pass. When suddenly, a head's in the way.

"Ah!" She shouts as she jumps off the stone, and pulls out a kunai. As soon as she sees who it is, she relaxes. "What do you want, Uchiha?" She demands as she walks back towards the stone. She watches as Uchiha puts his hand against the stone.

"D...do you have someone important to you on the stone as well?" Uchiha asks as he looks back at her. She sighs, and nods.

"Yeah, my grandfather." She says in a whisper. She looks up at him. "Do you?" She asks. He looks at her.

"Do I what?" He asks. She looks at him in confusion.

"Have someone important to you on the stone?" Kyara asks. Uchiha looks away from her.

"We have our own KIA stone back in the Uchiha Compound." Uchiha says as he looks at the stone again.

"That's understandable." Kyara says as she walks back up to the stone. "I wish the Hyuga Clan would do that." She says as she runs her hand over the name Haiyo Hyuga.

"So, that's your grandfather's name?" Uchiha asks. Kyara smiles sadly.

"Why do you care?" Kyara asks as she takes a few steps backward. "After all, it's not like you care about me or anything." She turns around. "Guess I'll see you at training tomorrow." She asks.

"Yeah, guess so." Uchiha says as he watches her.

"Well, I better head home. I have some things I have to do..." She waves, and runs off.

"See yuh tomorrow then..." Uchiha says as he watches her run off in what he guesses to be the direction of the Hyuga Manor.

Kyara jumps down, out of the tree in front of the gates to the Hyuga Manor. She walks up to a house, and goes inside.

"I'm home!" She says as she takes her sandals off.

"Welcome home, big sis!" Her four year old brother shouts as he runs into the entry way.

"Hey, little guy." She says as she picks him up, balancing him on her knee. "How was your day?" She asks. He smiles.

"I played with cousin Hinata!" He says as he throws his arms in the air. "We played hide and seek!" He says.

"Sounds like fun!" Kyara says as she walks into the kitchen.

"It was! Oh!" He looks at her expectantly.

"What is it?" Kyara asks.

"You had your graduation test today, didn't you?" He asks. Kyara sighs.

"Nothing escapes you!" Kyara says as she taps his nose with her pointer finder. "Does it?" He grins, and pushes her hand away.

"Tell me!" He demands.

"Yes, tell us how it went." A voice says behind them. Kyara spins around in surprise.


	4. Promises

"Father." Kyara says as she shuffles her feet.

"Dad! Kyara won't tell me what happened!" Neji shouts, pointing an accusing finger at Kyara.

"Fine, fine! If it's so important to Neji I shall tell you." Kyara sighs as Neji grins. "I passed." She says as she sits down.

"Who's on your team?" Her father asks. She looks up at him.

"Riku and...Uchiha..." She scowls at the name before suddenly remembering something. "Oh yeah! Hey, father?"

"What is it?" He asks. She looks up at him.

"Do you know if uncle had anything to do with Aunt Alice being my sensei?" Kyara asks. Her father sighs.

"I do know, but I'm not telling. The last thing we need is for you to do something stupid." He says as he shakes his head.

"But...father! You know I don't get along with her!" Kyara complains.

"That's why they put Aki as your sensei as well." Her father says. She falls backwards with a sigh.

"This sucks!" Kyara complains. She looks up when she sees someone standing over her.

"You're just going to have to deal with it. I think you should be more worried about your teammates." Her father says as he shakes his head.

"Riku?" She asks. "He's no problem. We've been best friends since...a long time ago." Kyara says as she sits back up.

"Not Dayto! Uchiha Itachi!" Her father says. She looks at him with confusion.

"Uchiha's no problem. He's weak." Kyara says as she flicks her hand back and forth.

"Do you really believe that?" Her father says. She looks up at him and sighs.

"I don't have anything to do with that nutcase anymore...so, don't worry." Kyara says, looking away from her father.

"Good." He says. When she looks up, she sees him smiling. She stands up.

"I'm going to my room." She says as she dusts off her pants.

"Be down here at six o'clock sharp." Her father commands. She nods.

"I will." She walks off to her room, and stops when she gets to a different room.

_*Forgive me, Mother.*_ She mentally says as she walks by the room. She goes into her room, and shuts the door. When she turns toward her bed, she gasps at what she sees.

"Hey!" Riku says as he watches her anime fall.

"W...what are you doing here, Riku?" Kyara demands when she recovers from the shock of seeing him there, in her room.

"Since we're on the same team, I thought we could spend some time together." Riku says with a shrug.

"Are you mad! You know what would happen if my father found you here?" Kyara whispers as she walks up to Riku.

"He won't catch me!" Riku says in a confident voice while a grin plasters itself across his face.

"Oh, fine! But only this one time." Kyara says as she glares at him.

"Yeah!" Riku shouts. Kyara runs to him, and clamps a hand over his mouth.

"Shhh!" Kyara growls as she glares at him.

"Mmmph mm mp!" Riku murmurs underneath her hand. She sighs, and lifts her hand off his mouth. "Geez, sorry!" Riku whispers. Kyara sighs.

"It's fine. My father's just having a really tough time right now." She says as she sits down on her bed next to Riku.

"Oh yeah? What's going on?" Riku asks, sounding both worried and curious.

"My mother's been really sick lately." She whispers in a sad voice.

"Oh? What's wrong with her?" Riku asks, cautiously. Kyara looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

"She's got a blood disorder that they're not sure her body can heal from." Kyara explains as she shakes her head.

"Do you?" Riku asks. Kyara looks at him in confusion. "Believe she can heal from it, I mean." Riku explains. Kyara's eyes widen.

"Well...I..."

"No, Kya! Do you, or don't you!" Riku demands in a stern voice, as he watches her carefully. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it, and shakes her head.

"No, I don't." She whispers. Riku looks at her in understanding.

"Come on!" Riku says as he jumps to his feet. Kyara looks at him, and then the clock.

"I can't today, Riku. Something's going on at six o'clock." Kyara says as she sits back against the wall.

"All right..." Riku walks to the window, but looks back at her. "You sure?" He asks. She nods her head.

"Maybe some other time." She says as he jumps out the window.

The remainder of the time goes by, and Kyara walks out of her room. She walks into the kitchen.

"Okay, what did you want me t-" Suddenly, about six of her aunts and uncles and seventeen of her cousin jump up.

"Congratulations!" They all shout, smiling warmly at her.

"AH!" She screams before she could help it.

"Did we scare you that much?" Neji asks as both he and Hinata walk up to her. She smiles down at them.

"No. I just wasn't expecting you to be there." Kyara says as she ruffles first Neji, then Hinata's hair.

"Hey!" They both complain. Kyara laughs.

"Messy hair suits you better, little brother!" Kyara says as she lifts Hinata up.

The party goes on, but Kyara spends most of her time with Neji and Hinata.

"I want to be a ninja just like big sister someday!" Hinata announces, throwing her arms in the air.

"Really. Well, I could help you!" Kyara says as she puts her forehead against Hinata's.

"Do you promise?" Hinata asks in a quiet voice.

"I promise." Kyara say in an equally quiet voice. She looks up when she feels a tap on her shoulder.

"Ah, uncle!" Kyara says as she sees Hinata's father standing behind her.

"I think it's about time that I get Hinata home. It's getting late." He says. Hinata pouts, and Kyara laughs.

"I could bring her home." Kyara says, smiling.

"Oh, okay, but not too late." Her uncle commands with a smile. Hinata smiles.

"Yay!" Hinata shouts as she throws her arms around Kyara's neck. Kyara laughs.

"Okay, Hinata. You should calm down." Kyara says, attempting to pull the overexcited three years old off her.

The night goes on, and both Hinata and Neji are passed out on Kyara's bed. She stands there with a blanket.

_*They're such spoiled children!*_ She mentally chuckles as she drapes the blanket over them.

"So, they fell asleep, huh?" Kyara spins around, and smiles when she sees her uncle.


	5. Guilt is a Powerful Thing

"I'm sorry, uncle, but would you object too much if Hinata stays here with me tonight?" Kyara asks him. He looks at her in surprise.

"You sure?" He asks. Kyara nods. "Okay. Just keep an eye on her." Kyara turns around, grinning.

"Don't worry. I would never let anything happen to the future leader of the clan." Kyara says as she looks back down at Hinata.

"All right." He leaves. Kyara drapes the blanket over the two. She sighs as she walks toward her dresser.

"What to do." Kyara murmurs as she sits down, leaning up against the dresser.

After a short time, she falls asleep.

"Wake up, sleepy brain!" Kyara hears someone yell in a mocking voice. She opens her eyes, and almost screams when she sees both Uchiha and Riku standing in front of her. She glares at both of them.

"What in the world are the two of you doing here?" She demands, standing up. She looks around the room, and practically jumps out of her skin when she sees Neji and Hinata still sleeping on her bed.

"Say, Kya?" Riku questions. She looks at him.

"What?" She asks.

"Who's the kid?" Riku asks as he gestures over his shoulder with his thumb.

"My cousin, Hinata." She says with a smile.

"She looks pretty important." Riku says as he examines Hinata.

"She's the daughter of the main branch's leader...so yeah, she is pretty important." Kyara says as she walks toward the two sleeping kids.

"Who's the other kid?" Uchiha asks. Kyara turns to look at him.

"My little brother." Kyara says, picking up Hinata's sleeping form.

"W...what's going on, big sis?" Neji asks, still half asleep. Kyara smiles down at him.

"Go back to sleep. I'm going to bring Hinata home." She says as she pulls the blankets over Neji better.

"Okay." Neji says seconds before he falls back asleep. She smiles as she walks toward her room door. She opens it, and walks out of the room, only to poke her head back in a few seconds later.

"If you could wait for me outside the front door, that would be great." She says as she walks back out again.

"She seems unusually chippy today." Uchiha says, looking at the door. Riku looks at him from his spot on the window sill.

"Don't be fooled. She's not going to be chippy for a while." Riku says, shaking his head. Uchiha look at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Uchiha asks. Riku shakes his head as he jumps out the window. Uchiha walks toward the window, and looks down at the ground.

"Come on before she gets out here!" Riku shouts up at Uchiha. He shrugs as he jumps out the window.

Meanwhile, Kyara walks into the kitchen with Hinata balanced on her hip. She stops when she sees her father standing by the table.

"Where are you going?" He asks as he turns to look at her. She sighs, and looks at Hinata.

"Bringing Hinata home before I go to training." She explains as she walks toward the door.

"Be careful." Her father says as he walks to the sink.

"I will." She says as she walks toward the door. She walks outside, and over to where Riku and Uchiha are standing. "All right. I have to go to the main house before we go to training." Kyara says, walking off. Uchiha looks at Riku, who shrugs, and follows Kyara.

They get to the main house, and Kyara turns to Riku.

"Do me a favor." She says. Riku nods. "Keep an eye on Uchiha so ho doesn't do anything stupid."

"Hey!" Uchiha shouts, looking angry. Kyara turns to him, hoisting Hinata higher on her hip.

"I don't have time to explain now. Just stay here until I get out." Kyara says as she walks toward the door. She goes inside, and Uchiha looks at Riku.

"What did she mean by that?" He asks. Riku shrugs.

"Who knows. The Hyuga's are kinda strange if you ask me." Riku says, glancing up at the huge house.

"Yeah well-" Both Uchiha and Riku look up when they see someone run out of the house.

"Run!" Kyara shouts. Uchiha and Riku look at each other. "Argh!" She grabs them both by the back of their shirts. "We have to get out of here be-" She stops talking, and goes rigid when she hears crying. "Damn!" She says as she turns around.

"Kyara Jay!" Her aunt demands as she walks out of the main house. Kyara sighs, and goes toward her aunt.

"What is it, ma'am?" Kyara asks. Her aunt glares at her before bringing her hand up, and smacking Kyara across the face.

"What the fuck!" Uchiha questions. Kyara stands there for a moment before sighing, and turning around.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Her aunt shouts. Kyara goes to the guys, and walks past them. They follow behind a few feet back.

"That was kinda...weird." Uchiha says. Riku nods.

They get to the training grounds. Kyara sighs as she drops onto the ground. She glares up at the two of them.

"Next time I tell you to run, could you try to listen!" She demands, and watches as both of their eyes widen.

"W...what happened to your face, Kya?" Riku asks. She sighs, and brings her hand up to touch her face.

"Is it bad?" She asks.

"Well..." Riku examines her face again. "It's not so ba-"

"You look like someone just slammed your eye against a wall." Uchiha says. Kyara sighs.

"She really went all out this time." She says as she jumps to her feet, and looks around the clearing. "Come on out!" She yells. Three people with sand headbands walk out of a cluster of trees to their left.

"What the hell!" Riku shouts, pulling out a kunai. He gets into a defensive stance. Kyara grins.

"Perfect! I could use a battle!" She pulls out her sickle.

"Just watch your back." Uchiha commands, pulling out his katana. Kyara glares at him.

"Don't you think I know that!" She demands. Uchiha grins.

"Just thought I'd mention it." The sand shinobi run at them. They stand, ready to fight.

"Bring it on!" The three of them shout as they run at the enemies.


	6. Fighting Clones

Kyara dodges one of the ninja, only to have a shadow clone attack her.

"Dammit!" she complains as she cuts the shadow clone.

After about half an hour of fighting, Kyara falls to her knees, exhausted.

"It….how are the two of you doing?" she yells toward Riku and Uchiha.

"I'd do better if they would just fucking DIE already!" Riku yells, cutting another shadow clone. Kyara jumps to her feet when another one charges at her.

"I'm doing just fine." Uchiha says. They both look in shock when they hear Riku scream.

"RIKU!" Kyara shouts, glancing toward him. He goes limp, standing up. Kyara stands up, and walks toward him. She stops when Uchiha comes up next to her and grabs a hold of her arms, holding her back.

"Just wait." Uchiha says when Kyara turns a glare at him.

"How can you say that? He's my best friend!" Kyara shouts, looking back at Riku. "He's my …. Best friend…" She flinches.

"What's wrong, Kyara?" Uchiha asks. Kyara's mouth drops.

"Y…..your eyes!" Kyara squeaks. Uchiha's eyes widen.

"What's wrong with them?" he asks. Kyara looks into them.

"They turned….red." she says. Uchiha lets her go, and runs a hand over his face.

"Now you shall die!" Both Kyara and Uchiha hear Riku promise. They look at him, only to see his eyes have changed as well.

"What in the world happened to Riku?" Kyara asks as she watches him kill about 200 clones at once.

"I don't….know." Uchiha says. Kyara gasps when she feels something ram into her back. "Hyuga!" Uchiha shouts as she collapses to her knees. She spins around, and glares at the clone standing on the far side of the clearing. As she tries to walk toward the clone, he feels someone grab her.

"Let go!" she commands.

"No! You're hurt!" Uchiha says. She rips out of his hold.

"No! You're hurt!" Uchiha says, grabbing ahold of her arm again only to have her rips out of his hold again.

"I have to do this! That bastard deserves to die for hurting me!" she says, eyes glaring at him. He releases her, and takes a step back.

"Fine! Go kill yourself!" Uchiha says as he turns away from her.

"Thank you, Itachi." She says with a smile. He turns to look at her right before she runs at the ninja.

"W…why did she chose then of all times to use my real name?" Uchiha questions. One of the clones walks forward.

"She thinks she's going to die." They say as they pull a handful of kunai out.

"What do you know about her?" Uchiha questions, pinning the clone to the ground.

"A lot." He says just before he disappears. Uchiha turns around, searching for Kyara. His eyes widen when he sees her lying on the ground.

"KYARA!" Uchiha shouts, running toward her. As soon as he reaches her, he sighs in relief.

"I'm fine. Merely exhausted." Kyara says, holding her side. Uchiha lifts her hand, and gasps when he sees the wound there.

"I don't know about everyone else, but this wound would not be considered all right to me." Uchiha says. She looks up at him.

"Do me a favor?" she asks. Uchiha nods. "Grab the bottle out of my pocket." She says, rolling to her side.

"All right." He digs into her pocket lightly, and pulls out a small brown bottle. He opens the cap, and sniffs it. Kyara laughs lightly when he withdraws it as soon as the smell enters his nose. "What the hell is this?" he asks. Suddenly, Riku's next to him.

"What happened?" Riku asks. Uchiha sighs.

"She decided she was going to fight, even injured." Uchiha says. Riku sighs, and snags the bottle out of Uchiha's hand.

"And you're just standing there because….why?" he questions. Uchiha looks at him.

"I don't know medical ninjutsu." Uchiha says. Riku glares at him.

"Neither do I….but you don't see that stopping me!" Riku sticks his two fingers into the bottle, and spoons out some of the stuff inside. He lifts Kyara's shirt a little, and rubs the stuff into the wound. Kyara hisses in pain.

"What is that stuff?" Uchiha asks. Riku looks at him.

"It's medicine that the Hyuga Clan makes for their people. It can heal any wound." Riku explains as he screws the cap back on. The two of them watch as Kyara sighs, and falls asleep. Riku sighs as he stands up. "I suppose I should bring her to my house." He says as he bends down and picks her up. Uchiha looks at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Uchiha asks. Riku looks at him.

"She doesn't like it when I tell people about her so…..I won't." Riku says, walking away.

The next morning comes. Kyara groans, and rolls away from the sun, which is pouring directly into her eyes. She yawns, and opens her eyes.

"This is…..Riku's house." She whispers as she sits up on the bed.

"Yeah. You passed out after that guy wounded you. I carried you here." Riku says, walking into the room with a cup of something. He hands it to her and she quickly chugs it down. She gags.

"Forgot to plug my nose!" Kyara says, sticking her tongue out. Riku grins.

"Oh come on! It's not as bad as it used to be!" he says as he takes the glass from her. She glares at him. He lifts his hands up in surrender.

"You have GOT to be kidding me! Have you ever TASTED your weird concoctions?" Kyara asks. Riku shrugs. "Didn't think so." She says.

"Well." Riku walks to the door. "You better get ready. We have training in an hour." Riku says, walking out the door. Kyara sighs.

Forty-five minutes later, Kyara walks out of the room, dressed and ready. She walks into the kitchen.

"Where are we me-" Kyara stops dead in her tracks when she sees Uchiha leaning against the cabinet. She glares at him. "Why are you here?" she asks. He looks at her, causing her to flinch when she sees his red eyes.

"I've been here for three days. Why is it any of your business?" Uchiha demands. They glare at each other for a few minutes until Riku walks into the room.

"I got your bandages, It-" He looks at the two of them, and goes quiet. "Um…." He mumbles, walking a wide circle around them. He sets the bandages on the table, and turns to the two of them. "Please, don't break my house!" Riku says. They both turn to look at him. "Wait till we get to training grounds….which we're currently running late for." Riku says as he looks at his clock. They all three run out of the house.


	7. Overcoming One's Fear

They get to the training grounds with a couple seconds to spare.

"Guess you need to work on you time." Alice says. Kyara glares at her as she takes a few steps back.

"Don't even think about it." Aki says, appearing behind her. She glances back at him, judging how good her chances are at getting away. She decides against it.

"Fine." She says, taking a step sideways.

"Okay." Alice says. They all look at her. "Today. We have a free day. So, we're going to train. Kyara's going to train with Aki while the two of you train with me." Alice says. Kyara turns to glare at her.

"Let's go, Kyara." Aki says. She looks at him.

"All right." She follows him through the trees. Aki stops suddenly, causing Kyara to almost run into him.

"All right. This is where we'll be training today." He says, turning to face her.

"W…..why the hell are we near a…pond?" Kyara questions, looking at the water like it's a death trap.

"Because I know you hate water." Aki says with a grin.

"You got that right!" she says, shaking her head to try to get the unbearable fear under control.

"Your father told me that one of your elements are water, yet you dislike it so much that you utterably refuse to even look at a water jutsu index." Aki says, shaking his head. "So…" he looks up at her with a grin. "We're going to be working on this until you've mastered your fear, and can use water based jutsu." Aki says, grinning his head off.

"Are you seem to think this is a good thing because…..why?" Kyara questions, looking at the pond.

"Because you need to learn how to master and control your fear. Not to mention that without the full use of your elements. You'll be at a huge disadvantage to the rest of the ninja world." Aki says, looking Kyara with an intent look.

"I can beat every one of those idiots without the stupid water's help!" Kyara says, head raised high in pride.

"Maybe, but what would Itachi say if he saw you afraid of a simple thing like water?" Aki asks, changing tactics completely.

"What do I care what he th-"

"Loser! I can't believe you're scared of something as simple as WATER!" Aki says, mimicking Itachi's voice perfectly. Kyara flinches before sighing, and lowering her head in defeat.

"Fine. You win." Kyara says in a neutral voice. Aki smiles triumphantly.

The two of them go through the training process. Aki tries to get Kyara to touch the water a few times, but doesn't succeed in doing much of anything.

"You know, you're a very….stubborn child…" Aki says as the sun begins to go down. Kyara sighs.

"I wasn't trying to be. My body simply doesn't like going by water." Kyara says, looking at her uncle with apologetic eyes. Aki merely smiles up at her.

"It's all right. We'll keep trying until you can successfully do the water jutsu's that your blood allows." Aki says with a reassuring smile.

Around a week passes with hardly any improvement, but in that time, Kyara has become increasingly determined.

"Dammit!" Kyara shouts as she once again fails to touch the water. "At this rate, if an enemy throws water at me, I'd lose the battle!" she glares down at the pond. "Damn you to hell, you stupid hole filled with water!" she shouts, pointing at the pond.

"So tell me. How exactly is yelling at a nonliving thing going to help you with anything?" a voice says from the shadows. Kyara glares in the general direction the voice had come from.

"Who's there?" Kyara demands. Her eyes widen when none other than Alice walks out. "What do you want?" Kyara questions in an irritated voice. Alice merely smiles.

"Well, do you want my help, or not?" Alice questions. Kyara looks at her aunt in a suspicious way.

"And tell me. Why exactly would you want to help me?" Kyara questions. Alice smiles.

"I'm not the one holding a grudge, you are." Alice says in a sad sounding voice. Kyara merely glares at her.

After a few minutes, Kyara sighs.

"Fine. You can help, but if I don't see any difference, you're done." Kyara says in a completely serious voice.

"Very well." Alice says in an emotionless voice. "Shall we start now?" Alice questions. Kyara's quiet for a few moments before nodding. The next thing she knows, she's pushed backwards into the water.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kyara questions once she breaks through the surface of the water. "You could have k-" she's cut short when she sees the smile on Alice's face. "Is there something you find the need to smile about?" Kyara asks in an unsure voice.

"Have you noticed WHERE you are?" Alice questions. Kyara's eyes widen as she looks down.

"H….how in the world did I NOT notice that I'm in the water?" Kyara questions, looking confused and scared.

"Your anger made you forget your fear of water." Alice says with a shrug. Kyara looks at her like she's crazy. "I'm serious! You were so angry at me for pushing you in the pond that you completely forgot about your fear of water." Alice says in an I'm-always-right tone.

"Hm…" Kyara mutters as she puts her thumb against her lower lip, and strokes it. "So, you think my anger's related to my fear of water?" she questions, looking at Alice.

"No. I think your anger's stronger than your fear. So, when you get angry, you forget about your fear completely." Alice says, looking at Kyara like that should be the most logical answer.

"Um…okay." Kyara says, looking at Alice like she's lost it.

"Don't look at me like that!" Alice says in an irritated voice. Kyara sighs as she climbs out of the pond dripping wet.

"Okay, so what's your plan now?" Kyara questions, looking at Alice expectantly. Alice merely grins. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I want you to try to touch the water." Alice says, still grinning.

"You…..WHAT?" Kyara shouts, sounding beyond surprised.

"Touch…..the…..water." Alice says in a slow voice.

"I know what you said! I mean, what in the world are you thinking?" Kyara shouts in a scared voice.

"At least TRY!" Alice says in an irritated voice.

"Fine." Kyara says, walking forward. Without hesitation, she touches the water.

"See. I knew you could do it!" Alice says, walking away. Kyara turns to look at her in confusion.

"W….where are you going?" Kyara questions, sounding worried. Alice turns to look at her.

"You don't need my help anymore." Alice says, disappearing.


	8. Learning the Waterball Jutsu

"Okay. That was….odd." Kyara says, shaking her head. "Well, might as well try to learn something." Kyara says, grinning and rubbing her hands together.

"Ra, Kyara! Come on, you're going to be late for training!" a voice says while shaking her head.

"Ugh! Just ten more minutes!" Kyara slurs, battling at the hand in an attempt to get it to go away.

"You don't have ten minutes! We have to be there in about three." The voice says in a serious voice. Kyara's eyes shoot open, and she jumps to her feet, only to see that she's lying on Riku's front stoop.

"How in the world did I get here?" she questions, looking around.

"I don't know. I was kinda wondering that myself. I almost tripped over you when I went to walk out of my house." Riku says, scratching the back of his head. Kyara sighs.

"Sorry. Guess I must have sleep walked here…" she says in an apologetic voice. Riku smiles.

"Not to worry." Riku says with a smile on his face. Kyara smiles back. "Well, shall we head out?" Riku questions.

"Sure." Kyara says, standing up.

They get to the training grounds, and split up in their usual way.

"So, ready to try again?" Aki questions as the two of them walk back toward the pond.

"Yep!" Kyara says, grinning.

"What's up with the dramatic personality change?" Aki asks, looking at Kyara seriously.

"Let's just say that I've got an all new outlook on things." Kyara says, looking at her uncle with a smile.

"Well, let's see." Aki says, motioning toward the pond that's now in front of them. Kyara smiles confidently as she walks straight toward the mass of water. With confident steps, she walks out onto the water and turns to look at her uncle.

"Congratulations! You have managed to completed step 1 of your training!" Aki says, waving his hand. Kyara looks at him like he's lost it.

"Step 1?" Kyara demands, glaring at Aki.

"Yes. You've just begun to understand your element. Now you must learn some of the jutsu that you are now able to use." Aki says, pulling out a pair of gloves. "Put these on." He commands as he throws the gloves at her.

"What for?" Kyara questions, looking at the gloves.

"Don't ask questions, just put them on!" Aki says, glaring at Kyara.

"Geez! You didn't have to get pissed about it! I just wanted to know why I have to wear gloves..." Kyara says as she puts the gloves on while rolling her eyes.

"We just don't have time to be asking useless questions. You don't know anything about your element. Meanwhile, the other two are off training with theirs." Aki says, looking at Kyara the whole time.

"Okay. So, what do you think I should learn first?" Kyara asks, looking at Aki expectantly.

"How to use water based jutsu would probably be the best idea." Aki says, smiling at her.

"All right, the floor is yours." Kyara says with a grin.

"Very funny. Now, what you need to understand about water is that it's everywhere, not just in a pond or river." Aki says, holding a hand out. The next thing Kyara knows, there's a small pool in his hand. "Anywhere there's air, there's water." Aki says, tipping his hand upside down, only for the water to vaporize.

"Okay..." Kyara says, looking at Aki's hand.

"But you'll find the most water there." Aki says, shrugging. Kyara nods. "So..." Suddenly, a ball of water flies toward Kyara. Out of pure instinct, she catches it, and throws it back at him, hitting him in the stomach.

"Oh my god! Are you all right?" Kyara yells, running toward Aki.

"I'm fine. You just took me by surprise that you knew how to repel it so early." Aki says, standing up.

"I took myself by surprise. I had no idea I knew how to do that." Kyara says, looking away from Aki.

"Really..." Aki's quiet for a moment.

"Well...can I learn some jutsu?" Kyara asks hesitantly as she looks at Aki.

"Sure!" Aki says, smiling. Kyara smiles hesitantly. "So...what kind of jutsu do you want to learn?" Aki asks, looking at Kyara.

"Well...um...what exactly can water do?" Kyara asks, puzzled.

"Well...there's this." Aki says, doing some hand signs. The next thing Kyara knows, she's completely submerged in water, but strangely, she can still breathe. "Unfortunately." With a jerk of Aki's hand, the water falls to the ground.

"Damn!" Kyara shouts, wiping the water out of her face.

"Those jutsu are too advanced for you. I won't teach them to you for a while yet." Aki says with a sigh.

"So what will you teach me?" Kyara questions. Aki smiles.

"This." Kyara's suddenly knocked back by a ball of water.

"How in the world did you form that without making hand signs?" Kyara asks, looking at Aki with confusion.

"Simple. I know how to control my chakra without having to make the necessary hand signs that you will have to make." Aki says with a shrug.

"How do I learn how to be able to not use hand signs?" Kyara asks, looking at Aki with curious eyes.

"Practice and a good mentor." Aki says with a smile. Kyara looks at him with hopeful eyes.

"Will I be able to get to that point?" Kyara asks. Aki smiles.

"But of course!" Aki says, throwing another waterball at Kyara.

"Gah!" Kyara shouts as she's soaked by the waterball. "You'll regret that...as soon as I actually learn how to do this jutsu that is!" Kyara says with a mischievous look on her face.

"Well then. I guess we should get teaching you, huh?" Aki asks, motioning for her to come to him. "Now, we'll start with the basics." Aki says when Kyara gets over to him.

"Basics?" Kyara mutters.

"Yeah. You need to learn the hand signs before you can perform the jutsu!" Aki says, looking at Kyara with a smile.

"I suppose." Kyara mutters.

The two of them work on hand signs for a good four or five hours.

"Well...I think I've got it." Kyara says, holding out a waterball.


End file.
